One Moment
by thisEternalLove
Summary: This was a moment where nothing mattered, the war didn't matter, Harry didn't matter, the possible end didn't matter - they had each other, for just one single moment until the end of their world as they knew it. And they will never forget.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination. All characters belong to the amazing and wonderful J.K Rowling. **

**~ One Moment ~**

**~ "Just one more thing before you leave, don't forget to remember me." ~ **

Her hand rested on his chest, as she focused on the fact that he was still breathing, counting every heartbeat, and every raise of his chest as she watched him sleep. She knew of the uncertainty that faced them, she knew that it was never clear if she would be able to have this moment with him again.. because this was a war. And she knew that not everyone would make it through a war, nothing was certain anymore.

She tilted her head up slightly, watching him as he opened his eyes, a slight blush creeping up on his pale face as he remembered exactly what had happened between the two young teenagers the night before. She bit her lip, slowly moving her hand away from his naked chest as she sat up, the covers wrapped tight around her tiny body. She could tell he was trying to find the right words to say, but she also knew that there were no right words.

"I love you." He finally whispered to her, his hand moving to trace a small scar on her lower back, smiling when she turned to face him. He slowly moved his hand up to trace a cut on her cheek, sighing sadly when he realized that this first real moment with Hermione might be his last, that that first night with her, could possibly be the last time. He inhaled sharply at the thought, tears threatening to fall down his face as he looked at the beautiful girl in front of him.

Gently, he took her hand in his and bit down on his lip, "I won't let anything happen to you. But if something happens to me, I want to you go run. I want you to apparate and just go somewhere safe. I don't want you to get hurt... you.. you mean the world to me, Hermione.. you're my everything, and if I were to... to.." He choked on the words, taking a deep breath as he managed to gather all the courage to say everything he had been wanting to tell her for so long now. "If I were to die, I would rather die knowing you were safe and that you will live on. It would.. mean a lot to me, if I knew that you will live, even when I can't."

Hermione bit her lip, nodding slightly as he finished, tears cascading down her cheeks. She knew she would never leave the fight, no matter what and she knew that if anything were to happen to the boy she loved more than anything, she would seek revenge instead of running like he wanted her to. But she also knew that Ron would never stop asking if she didn't just agree, so she nodded her head slowly, "I.. I promise that if anything were to happen to you – which it will not – I will apparate somewhere safe." She wanted to tell him something if she was going to die, but she couldn't bring herself to speak the words, she couldn't even imagine living without him... she couldn't even imagine dying without him.

Ron looked around, glad that Harry had not ruined their moment last night or this morning. He remembered murmuring a few charms, between tender kisses and wandering hands. He remembered a moment of regret, a whisper from Hermione as they both asked themselves, and each other if they were sure. He remembered that moment passing as quickly as it had come, as they both were reminded harshly that they might never get another chance to be this close, to be as one together. And that scared them, it terrified them because they had always thought they would have all the time in the world to tell each other exactly how they felt, but time was limited and the war was coming; this could be the end.

They lay, holding each other for ages, until a wake-up call from Harry reminded them that they had to leave soon, that they had to prepare themselves for the end of the world as they knew it. Ron didn't want to release her from his arms, kissing her untamed hair softly, whispering soft words of comfort into her ear before they both sat up. He smiled when Hermione clutched the covers close to her naked body, blushing at Harry as she moved closer to Ron. And Ron couldn't help feeling a sense of victory at the fact she didn't want Harry to see her like that, but she didn't mind him seeing her.. touching her.. being there with her.

They looked at each other briefly, smiling before their lips met, just for a moment of peace in each other's arms before the war could begin. Just a single moment before they could lose the one they love more than anything, and anyone else.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: See last chapter. **

This was war. It was finally here, and nobody could believe it. Devastation flooded around them as they carefully walked over the dead bodies – both from the light and the dark side. Hermione clung to Ron's arm, hating to look so weak but wanting to feel close to him at the same time. She examined the cuts on his face, the way he limped slightly and the way he held his side with a grimace on his perfect face. Blood dried in his bright red hair, and she felt the need to tend to his wounds, suppressing it quickly when she remembered they both had other priorities.

Ron glanced at Hermione, worried about the way she weakly held onto him as they looked around the disaster around them. He couldn't believe it, _Harry Potter was dead_. He'd never forget those words, the only hope they had was gone and he and Hermione were lost without him, neither of them knew whether to continue fighting for what they knew was right, or to give up and accept defeat. It was inevitable – the world was over as they knew it.

Hermione slowly moved her hand to his his, squeezing it gently as they walked back inside their old school, the place they had been so excited to arrive at all those years ago. Hermione and Ron couldn't wait to leave this place now, they used to love it but as they looked around them, they thought of nothing else but the death, and the destruction that seeped through the whole building. It had started with Dumbledore, and it would end with them. Both of them knew they had to continue fighting for what they believed in, Harry would tell them to run but this was their fight too. Fate had brought the three of them together, and fate would make sure all three fought right until the very end. They knew they couldn't run.

They stood still, watching the doors and waiting for the end. Hermione let go of Ron's hand, looking at him with tears in her eyes, glad they had already said their goodbyes in the most perfect way. She closed her eyes, remembering that moment that was still so clear in her head, smiling a little at the memory as Ron held her close to him. "I love you." She whispered, mostly to herself, hoping Ron could hear her. She opened her eyes, her wand pointed towards the door as Ron nodded and did the same.

"For what it's worth, Hermione Jane Granger, I love you too. I will always love you, I'd die for you." She glanced at him, wishing they could have just one more kiss just as the doors opened for the end of everything as they knew it. Ron held his wand tight, shouting spells at the approaching deatheaters. He grabbed Hermione, pulling her harshly behind him as he stepped back, keeping his grip on her as he ignored her protest.

He wanted to tell her how his heart skipped a beat when she looked at him, or when she ran her fingers through her hair, or when she walked into the same room as him. He wanted to tell her how she was his entire world, the only thing that could make him happy and the only person who has made him cry. He wanted to tell her that if she died, if she left him, if she was gone.. he wouldn't be able to go on. He wouldn't be able to live without her. She was his soul, his fate. Hermione Granger had his heart, and if she died, he would die with her. So he **had **to protect her.

And then he ran, holding her tight and refusing to let go despite her protesting, he ran with her all the way up to the room of requirement, dragging her inside and holding her close to his chest. "Y-you can't run.. you can't run from the war, Ronald." He nodded and looked at her, "I'm not going to run, you.. you're going to stay here and you're going to be safe. I'll be okay, as long as I know you're safe." Hermione was stubborn, he knew she would never agree to this but he took over to the bed, laying her down gently as he kissed her lips with as much passion as he could muster.

They tangled in each other's arms, making themselves one as they kissed, and Hermione couldn't help feeling like Ron was saying goodbye for good. And for a second, she wondered if he was going back out there to die. It was a while before they pulled away, Ron standing up and kissing her forehead. "Stay. Please.. I am begging you." She nodded slowly, seeing the desperation in his eyes.

And then he grinned at her, that famous Ronald Weasley grin that always made her heart melt. He took her hand, kissing all her fingers, pressing her palm against his lips. "I love you, Hermione Jane Granger. Goodbye, my love." His smile faltered, slowly letting go of her hand before leaving.

Hermione was irritated, looking around the room as she thought about how her friends were still fighting for what they believed in, while she was hiding out. But she couldn't do this anymore, she couldn't hide from what she believed in, she couldn't wait around while everyone else was dying. She paced, and paced, trying to remember her promise to the man she loved until she couldn't take it anymore.

She ran, she ran as fast as she possibly could, her wand out in front of her as she shouted the killing curse out, looking around for the red-headed man she had fallen deeply in love with. It took her a moment, her eyes finally settling on red-hair, but not belonging to a man who was fighting for his life, but to a man laying on the ground, not moving, not breathing, eyes wide open with his wand dropped by his side. The tears fell down her face quickly, running to him and falling to her knees, sobbing.

The war was real. He had left her, he knew he was going to leave her. And she couldn't believe this was it. He was gone and now she had _nothing _left to fight for.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: See last chapter. **

**A/N: This is the last chapter; because I am writing a new story with a new idea so I decided I didn't want two stories running at the same time. Thank you for the reviews, I know how packed the Harry Potter FF is, and not a lot of people get many reviews, so it means a lot that at least a few people are reading this. **

She had stared death in the face many times. She had stared death right in the face too many times, and every single time she had longed to make it through, so she could have one more chance. Just one more chance at life, so she could do everything she had yet to do.

In her first year at Hogwarts, she had almost died three times – the first time, Ron and Harry had saved her life, saving her from the troll that would have more than likely resulted in her death. And then of course, Fluffy, she couldn't imagine anyone would survive such a large beast once it's teeth clamped around them. She had so much to thank Hogwarts for, and her brains; she had been able to repay Harry and Ron for them saving her life earlier in the year.

And then of course second year; tormented for being a 'mudblood' by Draco Malfroy, made to feel so much more inferior than the pure bloods. She hated it, she hated the thought that she wasn't as good a witch as everyone else because of who her parents were. She had hated the fact that she could have died because of this belief.

Her third year in Hogwarts was relatively... calm for her compared to the first two years. Her heart thumped when she thought Ron was dead, or hurt, and she honestly thought she was going to die at the hands of Sirius Black. She could never have guessed that she would end up being one of the people who would save his life, and then she had one more person she could add to her list of 'good deeds'.

Her fourth year, she had realized she was falling for Ronald Weasley. She had developed a crush on him before then, but she was falling for him hard and quick. The year had been a quiet one for her, apart from arguments. She wasn't faced with death like Harry was every year.

And then fifth year came and went, she could have been killed by a death-eater, she could have been murdered right there and then but she survived. She had cried, and begged in her head to someone out there to let her live, let her have a chance to tell Ron exactly how she felt. She pleaded for just one more chance, one more chance to live. And she was given that chance.

But she was never able to tell him. She giggled nervously when he touched her cheek, and she smiled when he looked at her. For a while, she thought he felt the same way she did, until Lavender Brown came along. It had broken her heart. She couldn't believe she had begged for a chance, and had ruined it. She had asked him to go with her, but of course.. Lavender Brown had ruined everything. She could have Ron for an extra year, she could have had him all to herself. And then _he _almost died, and she felt like her heart had been ripped out when she heard the news, the thought of him dying without knowing, the thought of him leaving her without them even talking. She owed Harry her life, because she wasn't sure if she would be able to live without Ron by her side. And so she held his hand, taking good care of him, waiting for him to wake up and tell her how he felt. But of course, it was just her luck that he wouldn't remember, and yet again, she felt her heart was being trampled on. And right then, she wasn't sure if she'd rather be facing another near death experience, or another heartbreak from the one and only Ronald Weasley.

Ron had yelled when he found out she was one of the individual's who would be acting as Harry Potter when they moved him. He didn't want her putting her life in danger, and she felt the same way about him. Both of them knew they had to do it, for Harry and for the Dumbledore and for the light side to win once and for all. She had almost died, and she had imagined someone telling her that Ron was hurt, or even worse.. so she had wrapped her arms tight around him the moment she saw him.

The closest she had ever come to death was at the hands of Bellatrix. The curse would haunt her for as long as she lived, the pain was like nothing she had ever felt before and she felt like she was going to die, she felt herself – for the first time, and not for the last – wishing she was dead. She closed her eyes, and hoped the pain would stop, willing herself to lose consciousness, so she could have just a moment's break from the horrendous pain.

And now here she was. She found herself facing death one more time, but she wasn't scared, she wasn't begging for a chance to live, she found herself dropping her wand and looking at the crazed death-eater who had just murdered the love of Hermione's life. She closed her eyes, waiting for the green flash, she welcomed it into her body, falling back the moment it hit her. Her hand caught onto Ron's, and then she was with him again. She could be happy in his arms. She was happy when she was with him.


End file.
